Chapter 228

The battle changes in an instant!

Kakuzu's face remained expressionless; even with victory seemingly within grasp, he showed not a trace of triumph.

Suddenly, Kakuzu's pupils contracted sharply as a powerful whip kick suddenly struck empty air!

Ichimaru Gin's figure had turned into an afterimage, vanishing from the spot.

A sudden chill shot up Kakuzu's back.

Ichimaru Gin's snake-like voice came from behind him.

"It's over. Of course, I was lying to you..."

As a Soul Reaper, how could he possibly fail to sense the fluctuation of a person's inner spirit?

He had merely been acting out a play to cooperate with Kakuzu.

Ichimaru Gin flashed a snake-like smile once more, raising Shinsatsu Sōgun before his chest.

Kakuzu's pupils contracted violently as he swiftly shifted his body.

But he was still one step too slow!

"Shinsatsu Sōgun: Dance!"

Hum!!

Ichimaru Gin unleashed a point-blank attack; Kakuzu finally saw the strike of Shinsatsu Sōgun clearly!

A gray-white pillar of light flashed past, and another hole was blown through Kakuzu's body.

The good news was that Kakuzu's previous movement had some effect.

At least he had shifted the position of his heart.

Kakuzu exhaled in relief, unaware that his back had long been soaked in cold sweat.

It was just a hair's breadth away!

He was about to lose another heart!

Kakuzu quickly regained his composure, smashing a heavy tentacle fist toward Ichimaru Gin.

Ichimaru Gin showed a hint of surprise, then raised Shinsatsu Sōgun to block!

Clang—

So heavy.

The force on Ichimaru Gin's blade sank; he had no intention of clashing head-on with Kakuzu.

Following the momentum of Kakuzu's force, he rapidly created distance.

Seeing this, Kakuzu had no choice but to withdraw his fist.

Ichimaru Gin's expression remained calm; only now did he take note of Kakuzu's physical condition.

Despite suffering such severe injuries, he acted as if nothing were wrong.

Something was amiss!

Sarutobi Hiruzen watched Kakuzu, who had stood up again and even launched an attack, his face filled with shock.

Even with his heart pierced through, he could still survive?

And be this active?!

He looked just as if he hadn't been injured at all.

Truly worthy of being a Ninja from the same era as Lord First!

But how exactly did Kakuzu survive?

This question puzzled not only Sarutobi Hiruzen but everyone else as well.

With the heart clearly gone, how could he still be alive?

Soon, Kakuzu's transformation provided them with the answer.

The hollowed-out area on Kakuzu's torso suddenly began to squirm; strands of Black Lines filled and stitched together the holes in his heart and abdomen.

This scene sent a wave of creepiness through the crowd.

But Kakuzu's transformation was not yet finished.

He stripped off his clothes, revealing a body covered in stitches.

On his back, four strange Masks were even sewn on!

Suddenly, Kakuzu's back bulged out like a balloon.

Riiip.

Kakuzu's back instantly split open; beneath the four Masks, Monsters formed from Black Lines emerged, standing behind Kakuzu and silently gazing at Ichimaru Gin.

"So disgusting!"

Those viewing Kakuzu's transformation through the Projection Hell Butterflies couldn't help but cry out in shock.

The looks they cast at Kakuzu were as if viewing a pervert.

"What... what kind of secret Technique is this?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen thought in alarm.

The Ninja World actually possessed such a bizarre secret Technique.

But the basic effects of this Technique were still unclear; he would watch a bit longer.

Ichimaru Gin, still squinting, raised Shinsatsu Sōgun once more, using another Dance to pierce Kakuzu again.

But unlike before, this time, even though Kakuzu saw Ichimaru Gin's action, he showed not the slightest sign of dodging.

He simply manipulated the Black Lines within his body to stitch up the pierced area.

Ichimaru Gin spoke: "I see, so you are immortal..."

Ichimaru Gin's words transmitted through the projections into the ears of everyone in the Ninja World, immediately causing an uproar.

"Immortal? What do you mean?!"

"Could it mean he cannot be killed?!"

"Hiss—could there truly be an Immortal Body?!"

"Come to my Evil God Cult; as long as you worship the Evil God, you will gain the same Immortal Body as that person in the projection!"

Kakuzu: "..."

Settle the advertising fee?

Immortal?!

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widened; was it truly immortal?

An Immortal Body?!

Hiss—

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe, forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart.

(bedd) However, this made it reasonable that Kakuzu was still alive despite having an empty heart.

An Immortal Body...

If this Immortal Body is real...

Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze grew deep; though he was already advanced in years, he still wished to dedicate another hundred years to Konoha!

An Immortal Body?

Tsuchikage Ohnoki looked at Kakuzu's appearance and shook his head.

Although he was already half-buried in the earth, Kakuzu's Immortal Body held no temptation for him.

Just to be immortal, turn oneself into something neither human nor ghost?

When one is old, one should retire when it is time to retire.

The future of the Ninja World belongs to the young.

As for the Third Kazekage, he was even less interested.

He was still young.

Ichimaru Gin's single word "immortal" stirred up waves across the Ninja World once again.

The Taki Village Elders gritted their teeth as they glared at Kakuzu, hissing with hatred: "This is Takigakure's secret technique! Kakuzu, you traitor!"

Land of Whirlpools, Seireitei.

With the effect of immortality guessed, there was not a trace of panic on Kakuzu's face.

The effect of immortality would sooner or later be exposed; Kakuzu had long prepared for this.

As long as the secret of Earth-Grudge Fear was not discovered, it would be fine.

Kakuzu's eyes darkened as he fixed his gaze on Ichimaru Gin.